Restricted building work

Building work affecting the structure or weather-tightness of a residential building is ‘restricted’ under the Building Act 2004. The rules mean you must employ a licensed building practitioner to design, carry out or supervise this kind of work.

The rules also make sure that critical design and building work is carried out or supervised by competent practitioners. It also makes sure there is accountability if the restricted building work does not meet the required standards.

Licensed building practitioners (LBPs)

LBPs are designers, carpenters, brick and block-layers, roofers, external plasterers, site and foundations specialists who have been assessed as competent to carry out work affecting the structure or weather-tightness of a residential building.

Professional engineers, architects, plumbers and gasfitters are treated as LBPs and can carry out some restricted building work.

If your building plans need building consent from the Council, it may be restricted building work. Visit the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Building Performance Group page on choosing the right people for your type of building work(external link) for more information on restricted building work and licensed building practitioners.

Your building consent application must include the registration numbers of the LBPs involved in your project. Your designer must be an LBP, and must include a memorandum certifying that the design work complies with the building code.

Each licensed building practitioner who is subsequently involved in the project (e.g. foundation specialist, carpenter, bricklayer, external plasterer and roofer) must provide their LBP number and a record of work(external link) to the Council, before a code compliance certificate can be issued.

Handy tip: To avoid delays in processing your consent, be sure to include the required LBP certification — especially the LBP Designer certification, which is required up front. The details of other LBPs can be added as they are engaged to do the work, if you do not know them at the time of application.

Owner-builder exemption

As an owner-builder, you can carry out restricted building work on your own home. You are responsible for ensuring that restricted building work carried out under the owner-builder exemption complies with the building consent and the relevant plans and specifications.